Arduino-compatible Spark Core makes adding WiFi dead simple

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The knowledge gap between planning and execution when it comes to DIY computing seems to get smaller every day. The latest example of this is the plug and play Spark Core, a project made to ensure adding WiFi to a project takes no time at all.

Adding WiFi to an Arduino isn’t a new trick by any means. The WiFi shield for Arduino is available everywhere, it’s just not the easiest thing in the world to use. You have to use a MicroUSB cable connected to your PC if you ever need to update the firmware, which means you have to make that particular part of the board easily accessible. On top of this, the board itself is nearly as big as the Arduino board itself depending on which model you are working with.

If someone were to come along and make a more flexible WiFi board that maybe didn’t take up so much space and was a little easier to maintain, it’d be pretty hard not to be a fan. Spark Devices seems to think they are the guys for the job with the Spark Core development board.

Making a thumb sized snap in WiFi development board that can be used both on its own or with an existing Arduino kit is a neat trick. Making the board easy to connect to an existing network using an app on your phone and making the firmware easy to update over WiFi means it’s infinitely more useful for just about anything.

The Spark Core is to be made available as an individual board or paired with four different shields, depending on what your uses might be. The board can be easily run on battery power with a custom shield and is open enough that embedded geeks can grab the JTAG shield for more in-depth projects. The goal seem to be to make Spark Core useful as a single board that anyone at any skill level can use.

Spark Core is a Kickstarter project that quickly blew by its $10,000 goal. You can still back the project at $39 for a Core, or up to $2,000 if you’ve got a completely custom project in mind and want Spark Device’s help in building a custom shield. Spark Core is a great way to see how quickly DIY computing projects are increasing in popularity, and making it incredibly easy to move your project to the Internet.